Mohammed, Egypt

Mohammed came to Denmark in 2014 at the age of 40 through the family reunification scheme with a woman residing here. The couple did not have any children, but he was fond of his wife's children from a previous marriage. He became quite proficient in Danish and, after a year, he got a permanent job. In his spare time, he helped out at an NGO. 
 
The marriage was not a happy one, and Mohammed felt that his wife was putting psychological pressure on him in various ways. He was unhappy and depressed. His wife filed for divorce, and he moved into a shelter for men.
 
Since he no longer lived with his partner, the conditions for his residence in Denmark under the family reunification rules fell away. Mohammed's employer therefore contacted Refugees Welcome, they were deeply concerned about losing one of their most valued employees of the past 6 years. 

We helped with an application to extend his stay on the basis of a different status, namely to do with his successful integration and the strong ties Mohammed had established after 8 years in the country. He was successful, and 2 years later, we also helped him apply for permanent residence.